One last chance for Murcia as they work a corner short and swing it in, but Cillessen punches clear!
90'
CHANCE! Roberto produces a determined run down the right, and it's worked out to Alcacer on the left side of the box in space, but he can't beat the onrushing goalkeeper! He's been a busy man tonight, Santome.
89'
CHANCE! Rakitic just misses out on a square ball on the edge of the box, but in runs through to Denis Suarez who fires one at goal, but it's straight at the keeper who catches acrobatically!
87'
Elady has, quite literally, run himself into the ground tonight. He bursts away again, forcing Mascherano to make an inspired last-ditch challenge from behind - which is fair - but the striker pulls up with cramp and has to be helped out by Cillessen in the Barca goal.
86'
CHANCE! At the other end, Alcacer is just beaten to an aerial ball by the goalkeeper, who gathers well.
85'
CHANCE! Perhaps they're not so well-beaten after all. A neat one-two puts Elady through to force a great stop from inside the box from Cillessen, before the follow-up is deflected away! They're not giving up in their search for a goal, which would perhaps be a prize in itself for the Segunda B strugglers, who ahve acquitted themselves well here.
83'
Marc Cucurella enters the game and replaces L. Digne.
Digne is replaced by young left-back Cucurella in Barcelona's final change.
82'
Barcelona look good for a fourth here. Roberto swings in a cross that Alcacer just can't get to in the middle, before Digne fires one over from the edge of the box. Murcia look tired now, and well-beaten, despite their admirable efforts.
81'
Andre Gomes receives the ball from Arnaiz on the half-turn, but it just runs away from him on the edge of the box and the keeper is there to pick it up.
76'
Armando Ortiz enters the game and replaces David Mateos.
Sergi Roberto enters the game and replaces Deulofeu.
I. Rakitić enters the game and replaces Carles Aleñá.
Mateos comes off for Armando in Murcia's third and final change.
Aleña is replaced by Sergi Roberto in midfield. It's more a case of freshening the team up at this stage in the game.
Minute
Description
75'
A long ball in behind the Barcelona defence looks to be causing problems, but a combination of Mascherano and Semedo eventually see the ball to safety.
74'
Barcelona look very calm now. They've taken their foot off the gas for sure, and are now stroking the ball about casually, playing with flair and confidence, but without a real desire to burst forward and move the ball around quickly. They know this game is all but won, especially with the second leg at the Camp Nou yet to come.
71'
CHANCE! How do the hosts not have one back! Elady does brilliantly to make the most of a raking diagonal and beats his full-back before firing the ball across goal from the byline. The man in the middle gets two or three stabs at it, but somehow, they all hit a sprawling Cillessen and eventually he makes one stick! That looked certain to go in from just a yard or two out!
69'
Arnaiz gets away down the left yet again, but there's nobody in the box. He cuts inside, but there's some miscommunication and his pass goes astray.
68'
Arnaiz shows some more lovely skill on the left, completely bamboozling his marker with a clever drag back. He looks like a real talent!
66'
CHANCE! Barcelona full of confidence at the moment. Alcacer meets a cross from the left on the volley, and keeps in down, but hits it straight at the keeper, who gratefully gathers.
61'
David Sánchez enters the game and replaces Fer Llorente.
Salva Chamorro enters the game and replaces Abel Molinero.
Fernando Llorente is replaced by David Sánchez as Murcia try and get a foot back into the game and avoid being blown away.
The home side make another change, bringing off Molinero for Chamorro.
59'
CHANCE! Barcelona are really turning on the style now! There's flicks and tricks as they advance into the area and Arnaiz somehow gets away from three tight markers with a neat pirouette, and is just prevented from scoring a second by the goalkeeper's leg at the near post!
56'
José Arnaiz has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by Denis Suárez.
Denis Suárez made a little bit of room for his team-mate with his pass and run off the ball, but it's all about that sweet strike from Arnaiz really.
GOAL! Arnaiz makes it 3-0 with a thunderous strike! He cuts inside from the left and works half a yard from his marker before lashing a powerful effort from the edge of the box into the far corner with the outside of his boot! Now that's how to get your manager's attention! It was a little close to the keeper, but the sheer power took it past him before he could get a hand to it! Great strike!
52'
Deulofeu has scored a goal for Barcelona!
DIgne links up well with Jose Arnaiz down the left, but the latter's cross is just hacked clear before it could reach its intended target.
GOAL! What a goal by Deulofeu!! It's a superb individual effort! He jinks inside from the right and gets a little bit of luck as the ball breaks kindly for him, but he sweeps past another two defenders before sliding the ball through the goalkeeper's legs from a tight angle! He really has been the difference tonight! 2-0 Barcelona!
49'
Nadjib Montes gets yellow.
It's Barcelona's turn to break quickly, and Deulofeu is hacked down by Nadjib as he looks to break clear. A yellow card is rightly awarded - it was a desperate challenge.
48'
Vermaelen has to be on his toes as Murcia break quickly, but holds his position well enough to force the attacker back and concede a corner.
47'
Barcelona look to start quickly as they win a conrer with a quick attack down the left, and already have the hosts camped in their own half.
46'
And we're back underway!
44'
Paco Alcácer has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by Deulofeu.
Deulofeu has been Barcelona's brightest spark so far, and it's his run down the right again that causes the hosts problems. This time, he cuts inside, before lofting a lovely cross into Alcacer in the middle, who duly converts.
GOAL! Alcacer breaks the deadlock just before half-time! The visitors stretch the pitch as wide as they can, before Deulofeu jinks inside and lofts a cross into the centre. Alcacer meets it well with his head, and it sails in at the near post with the keeper flat-footed!
42'
Andre Gomes is felled from behind, and Alcacer steps up to the free-kick from about 25 yards out. However, his effort comes off the wall and goes behind for a corner - which comes to nothing.
40'
CHANCE! Santome can only palm a powerful header back into play, and it falls to Denis Suarez in the box, but he skies his effort in his search for the top corner. A real waste - he has to at least hit the target from there.
38'
CHANCE! The ball is worked well down the left again, and a wonderful cross into the centre is just nicked away from the lurking striker by Vermaelen! What an interception from the former Arsenal defender!
36'
CHANCE! Murcia once again try to break quickly at Barcelona, and only a smart block by Mascherano - captain for the night - takes the sting out of a shot and allows Cillessen to catch comfortably.
34'
Digne whips a cross in from deep on the left, and as the keeper comes out to punch the ball clear, his punch makes contact with the head of Orfila, who goes down in a heap. He eventually gets to his feet, though, and looks okay to continue.
31'
Digne is asked to take off what looks like his wedding ring before taking a throw-in! A bit of an odd sight, but the offending jewellery is removed from the pitch and the throw-in is taken.
28'
CHANCE! Murcia get away with real pace down the left through Nadjib, who beats Vermaelen - with the aid of a slightly lucky deflection and cuts the ball back to a team-mate in the middle, but his attempted first-time shot is awful and he skies it over the bar. What a waste of a great, great chance for the hosts.
27'
Gomes gives away a free-kick in a central area in his own half. It's curled in towards the back post, but Cillessen is off his line quickly to assert himself and catch it.
23'
Another look at the Mascherano effort reveals that the Argentine did not, in fact, make contact with the ball. Instead, the free-kick hits the arm of a defender, who was in the penalty area! However, his arms were by his side, and a penalty would have been quite harsh.
22'
CHANCE! Mascherano scuffs an effort off a defender and wide at the near post from the free-kick and wins a corner. It's whipped in really well with great dip and pace, and falls perfectly for the onrushing Alena, whose run was not picked up. But somehow, he gets in front of it and deflects it behind him and away from goal from just a few yards out!
21'
The lively Deulofeu wins a free-kick as he gets the better of his full-back, who resorted to holding him back in order to stop him from getting past.
19'
Their 4-4-2 formation, however, is proving solid for the time being, as they defend in two banks of four, the wingers coming narrow to deny space in midfield and the strikers dropping deep to offer further protection for the men behind them. Barcelona certainly don't look like breaking them down while they retain this shape. It will likely take a fast counter from a turnover high up the pitch for the visitors tonight.
16'
Murcia are, admirably, showing a desire to get at and unsettle their more decorated opponents, who have fielded a much-changed side tonight. However, with the way Barcelona pass the ball, you can't help but think that the hosts' desire to push forward and attack could leave them vulnerable to the quality and incisive nature of Barcelona's style - even without their big stars.
14'
CHANCE! Digne does excellently to skip away from his marker and burst towards the left byline. He fires in a low cross to the near post which just evades Alcacer and is eventually gathered by the goalkeeper! The slightest of touches from Alcacer would have sent that in!
12'
A loose ball is pounced on in midfield by Denis Suarez, but there's a miscommunication with Digne and the ball runs out of play.
11'
CHANCE! Mascherano is penalised for a foul inside his own half. It's a little soft, but Murcia nearly make the most of the resulting free-kick and it's headed just wide of the far post! What a start that would have been for the minnows!
9'
Tonight's hosts were relegated from Spain's top flight at the end of the 2008/09 season - the year that Guardiola led Barcelona to a historic treble in his first season in charge.
7'
Barcelona win another corner as Alena - one of the youngsters on show tonight - tries to drive the ball through a crowded penalty area.
5'
Deulofeu produces a slaloming run down the right - beating several players as he dances towards the byline, and wins a corner.
3'
The hosts try to break quickly down the Barcelona right, but the attack is snuffed out.
1'
And we're off! Barcelona get us underway.
Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Copa del Rey third round first leg fixture between Real Murcia and Barcelona at the Nueva Condomina.
The teams have been announced, and we'll start with the home side.
Real Murcia XI (4-4-2): Santome; Juanra, Orfila, Mateos, Ortiz; Molinero, Dominguez, Llorente, Escribano; Elady, Nadjib
Real Murcia substitutes: Jara, Ribas, Armando, Sanchez, Chamorro
Barcelona substitutes: Pique, Rakitic, Roberto, Ortola, Cucurella
Barcelona XI (4-3-3): Cillessen; Digne, Vermaelen, Mascherano, Semedo; Alena, Gomes, D. Suarez; Jose Arnaiz, Alcacer, Deulofeu
Tonight's hosts - Real Murcia - are in the third tier of Spanish football - Segunda Division B -Group 4. They share a division with the 'B' teams of La Liga strugglers Las Palmas, as well as Segunda Division teams Granada and Cordoba - who in turn share a division with Barcelona's own 'B' team.
They are not in great form coming into this game either, with just one win from their last five games leaving them 16th in the table - in the relegation play-off place.
In stark contrast, Barcelona remain unbeaten in both the league and the Champions League so far this season, having won 11 of their 12 fixtures - their sole draw came in a fiercely contested game at Atletico Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano.
The La Liga leaders make their first appearance of the season in a competition that they have absolutely dominated in recent years, having won the last three titles successively, and having appeared in the final in seven of the last nine seasons, losing just two of those.
Barcelona have left a host of first-team players behind as they travel to their third-tier opponents, including: Messi, Suarez, Iniesta, Umtiti, and Ter Stegen - among others. They also have five major absentees through injury in the form of: Vidal, Alba, Turan, Rafinha, and Dembele, leaving the door open for a host of young talent - including four Barcelona B players - to make an impression on Valverde tonight.
And that's half-time! Deulofeu has been Barcelona's main attacking threat in the first 45 minutes, and it's his moment of quality that has proved the difference between the two sides at half-time, producing an accurate cross for Alcacer in the centre to head in. The hosts haven't been without their chances, though, troubling Barcelona with their pace in attack on more than one occasion down their right-hand side. In fact, if not for some wayward finishing and a couple of timely interceptions from Vermaelen and Mascherano they could have even grabbed an unlikely goal. As it stands, though, Barcelona's superior quality has given them a 1-0 lead at the break!
The three senior Barcelona players who beat Malaga 2-0 at the weekend are all making their presence felt in this side. Deulofeu has been the main attacking threat and grabbed an assist, with Digne not far beind in terms of attacking contribution from wide areas, while Mascherano wears the armband and organises from the back.
And that's it! Barcelona have a 3-0 lead to take back to the Camp Nou, where they will surely finish the job with ease. The Segunda B side acquitted themselves admirably, and produced a stubborn resistance up until Alcacer's header from the lively Deulofeu's cross just before half-time. Two wonderful goals in the second half gave Barcelona a 3-0 lead - Deulofeu first beat three men before nutmegging the keeper at his near post from a tight angle, before Arnaiz thumped one in from the edge of the box. Murcia showed a threat on the counter-attack all night, but Mascherano in particular produced some inspired defending to preserve a clean sheet for the visitors. It finishes 3-0 to Barcelona!
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